New to fishing and need help!

[redline29]

Hello expert fishers!

My name is Josh, and I'm trying to learn enough about fishing to get my boys into the sport. We can catch little panfish on worms all day, and I have found a few spots where one-pound bass will eat a live minnow. But that's about as far as I've gotten.

Here's the situation:
-I live in Doraville GA (just north of 285 at Peachtree Industrial)
-I have some decent medium spinning rods
-I have collected a good amount of tackle
-No boat, so I'm stuck on the banks or the docks
-I've caught a few bass on live bait, but nothing on soft plastics or hard baits yet (just caught two bass on a cheap spinner in a small pond)
-Not too many public spots around my house, and the few I have found just seem heavily fished already -- very few bites.

My questions:
-Any ideas where you would take an eight year old to fish, where they would have a decent chance of catching a bass from the bank?
-How would you start to transition from live baits to artificial lures? (I've tried so many things, but not much luck yet!)

Thanks for the help!
-Josh

 

[JakkBauer]

I would buy some senko stickbaits and look up the "wacky rig". This will put you on fish im sure of it. Its a good start with artificial baits and an easy technique for an 8yr old.

 

[pjciii]

Take him to lake Burton fish hatchery. He can fish moccasin creek on the north and they have fish ponds on the south side of hatchery. You might find the Hatchery interesting for the both of you.

 

[BeerThirty]

Timing is important too. Going into cold weather season, the bite really slows down. Best time to go is in spring.

 

[westcobbdog]

But bass fishing goes lights out Jan and Feb.

 

[KKrueger]

Trout fishing. So many opportunities close to you and no boat is needed.

Not sure about this time of year due to less stocking but the DNR put out good stocking reports to know where the fish are.

 

[lampern]

Chattahoochee River tailwater for rainbow trout

Just find out the water release schedules and catch some trout for dinner

 

[poor retina]

Trout fishing. So many opportunities close to you and no boat is needed.

Not sure about this time of year due to less stocking but the DNR put out good stocking reports to know where the fish are.

DH would be the best bet. Smith first to get your feet wet on DH tactics, then Chattahoochee DH for a more local option. There are shoal bass in the Hooch DH around Cochran Shoals as well. Just be sure to look at USGS gauges and Corps release schedule so you don’t get caught in rising water.

 

[Trout chaser]

Hello expert fishers!

My name is Josh, and I'm trying to learn enough about fishing to get my boys into the sport. We can catch little panfish on worms all day, and I have found a few spots where one-pound bass will eat a live minnow. But that's about as far as I've gotten.

Here's the situation:
-I live in Doraville GA (just north of 285 at Peachtree Industrial)
-I have some decent medium spinning rods
-I have collected a good amount of tackle
-No boat, so I'm stuck on the banks or the docks
-I've caught a few bass on live bait, but nothing on soft plastics or hard baits yet (just caught two bass on a cheap spinner in a small pond)
-Not too many public spots around my house, and the few I have found just seem heavily fished already -- very few bites.

My questions:
-Any ideas where you would take an eight year old to fish, where they would have a decent chance of catching a bass from the bank?
-How would you start to transition from live baits to artificial lures? (I've tried so many things, but not much luck yet!)

Thanks for the help!
-Josh

It’s getting cold, bass fishings gonna be kinda tough soon. To start out, DH fishing for trout will be good to get their feet wet with artificials (catch and release only, artificials with single hook only). Trout are still active in the winter.

Smith creek DH is rather unintimidating. If you go there recently after a stocking, it’ll be pretty easy pickings. The culvert and the deep hole right below it is a pretty well known honey hole (walk up and down the creek, and you’ll know where I’m talking about when you see it). Invest in a couple light spinning or zebco setups with 4-6 lb line, and get some joe’s flies in any color as long as the blade is gold - the reason for those is that it’s really easy to just clip the stinger treble hook off to comply with the dh regs. Tie one on, add some bb split shot (2-4 depending on the current, for the deep hole I’ve used up to 4), and cast upstream to the head of the hole and reel steadily, just fast enough where the spinner isn’t overtaken by the current and you can feel the blade spinning. Should be a pretty easy endeavor to bring some trout to hand. Another easy area would be Vogel lake - it receives periodic stocking in the winter. There id fish 1/4 oz panther martins in gold blade with black body and yellow spots. Fish all around the lake, trying to find where the trout are schooling - they tend to school up and move in the lakes. Same as above, cast and reel fast enough where the blade is spinning.

You can fish much the same way when the water warms up and it’s time for bass - the lures above will work for them, along with some 1/8-1/6 oz rooster tails, some 1/8 oz jig heads with 3” curl tail grubs in yellow and white, and 1/8 oz beetle spins in yellow with black stripes or white with the red spot. Cast to cover (weed beds, fallen trees, riprap) and reel in slowly and steadily.
I’ve found these smaller lures will catch a higher quantity of bass than traditional bass lures, and less so in size of the bass - but the kids will have fun catching a lot of smaller bass (and no guarantees of only smaller bass eating those lures, as I have caught very nice bass on those small lures - elephants eat peanuts and all that).

once the kids got their feet wet - try this tactic:
https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

senkos are very high percentage, and my go-to when the bite is tough. You can fish anywhere in the world with bass and catch some with senkos. I’ve caught bass in dirty water, clear water, ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, and even in South Korea with senkos. This’ll force the kids to practice patience and net them a very high chance of catching some good bass - I’ve caught 7” bass on senkos and 5 pounders on senkos.